The Marshall Plan was almost inevitable. Even if there was no organized "Plan", the Europeans will still have to go to the US for loans and investments. There's no banker on Wallstreet stupid enough to pass on this opportunity. This amount can be raised privately. The Marshall Plan amounted to about 80-90 billion in 2008 dollars. That's about how much US spends per year in Iraq now. Compared with Iraq the Marshall Plan was a heck of an investment. By being actively involved in it, the US government gets prestige and forge a post-war political coalition, why would they not do it? Why would they miss out on return on investment politically and economically instead of just economically via private and decentralized loans?